View source for Celso Ayala

{{short description|Paraguayan footballer (born 1970)}}
{{family name hatnote|Ayala|Gavilán|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Celso Ayala
| image = 
| fullname = Celso Rafael Ayala Gavilán
| height = 1.83 m
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|8|20}}
| birth_place = [[Asunción]], Paraguay
| currentclub = 
| position = [[Centre-back]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1990–1994
| years2 = 1994
| years3 = 1995–1998
| years4 = 1998–1999
| years5 = 1999–2000
| years6 = 2000
| years7 = 2001–2005
| years8 = 2006
| clubs1 = [[Club Olimpia|Olimpia Asunción]]
| clubs2 = [[Club Atlético Rosario Central|Rosario Central]]
| clubs3 = [[Club Atlético River Plate|River Plate]]
| clubs4 = [[Real Betis|Betis]]
| clubs5 = [[Atlético Madrid]]
| clubs6 = [[São Paulo Futebol Clube|São Paulo]]
| clubs7 = [[Club Atlético River Plate|River Plate]]
| clubs8 = [[Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo|Colo-Colo]]
| caps1 = 
| caps2 = 15
| caps3 = 140
| caps4 = 17
| caps5 = 19
| caps6 = 8
| caps7 = 60
| caps8 = 6
| goals1 = 
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 8
| goals4 = 1
| goals5 = 1
| goals6 = 0
| goals7 = 3
| goals8 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1992
| nationalteam1 = [[Paraguay national under-23 football team|Paraguay U-23]]
| nationalcaps1 = 
| nationalgoals1 = 
| nationalyears2 = 1993–2003
| nationalteam2 = [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay]]
| nationalcaps2 = 85
| nationalgoals2 = 6
| manageryears1 = 2012–2013
| managerclubs1 = [[Sportivo Carapeguá|Carapeguá]]
| manageryears2 = 2014
| managerclubs2 = [[Independiente F.B.C.|Independiente FBC]]
| manageryears3 = 2014–2015
| managerclubs3 = [[Guabirá]]
| manageryears4 = 2015
| managerclubs4 = [[Sport Boys Warnes]]
| manageryears5 = 2015
| managerclubs5 = [[Club Petrolero|Petrolero]]
| manageryears6 = 2016–2017
| managerclubs6 = [[Independiente F.B.C.|Independiente FBC]]
| manageryears7 = 2017–2018
| managerclubs7 = [[Club Nacional|Nacional Asunción]]
| manageryears8 = 2019
| managerclubs8 = [[Deportivo Capiatá]]
| manageryears9 = 2019–2020
| managerclubs9 = [[Sportivo Luqueño]]
| manageryears10 = 2020
| managerclubs10 = [[Club River Plate (Asunción)|River Plate Asunción]]
| manageryears11 = 2020–2021
| managerclubs11 = [[Club Sol de América|Sol de América]]
| manageryears12 = 2021
| managerclubs12 = [[Club River Plate (Asunción)|River Plate Asunción]]
| manageryears13 = 2022
| managerclubs13 = [[Club Sol de América|Sol de América]]
| manageryears14 = 2023
| managerclubs14 = [[Deportivo Santaní]]
}}

'''Celso Rafael Ayala Gavilán''' ({{IPA|es|ˈselso rafaˈel aˈʝala ɣaβiˈlan|local}}; born 20 August 1970) is a Paraguayan [[association football|football]] manager and former player who played as a [[centre-back]].

==Career==
With 85 caps and six goals, Ayala one of the most capped players in the [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay national team]].<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/para-recintlp.html rsssf: Paraguay record international footballers]</ref>  Ayala became a key player in Paraguay's outstanding defensive line in the 1990s, along with fellow defenders [[Francisco Arce]] and [[Carlos Gamarra]]. His characteristics were leadership in the field, good positioning and superb tackling and heading skills. Ayala made his international debut for the [[Paraguay national football team]] on 3 March 1993 in the Copa Paz de Chico match against [[Bolivia national football team|Bolivia]] (1–0 win) as a substitute.

==Honours==
'''Olimpia Asunción'''
* [[Nehru Cup]]: 1990
* [[Supercopa Sudamericana]]: [[1990 Supercopa Sudamericana|1990]]
* [[Copa Libertadores de America]]: [[1990 Copa Libertadores|1990]]
* [[Copa Interamericana]] runner-up: [[1998 Copa Interamericana|1990]]
* [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] runner-up: [[1990 Intercontinental Cup|1990]]
* [[Recopa Sudamericana]]: [[1991 Recopa Sudamericana|1991]]
* [[Torneo Republica]]: 1992 (undefeated)
* [[Copa CONMEBOL]] runner-up: [[1992 Copa CONMEBOL|1992]]
* [[Paraguayan Primera División|Paraguayan league]]: 1993 (undefeated)
* [[Supercopa Masters]] runner-up: [[Copa Master de Supercopa#1995 Supercopa Masters|1994]]

'''River Plate'''
* [[Copa Libertadores]]: [[1996 Copa Libertadores|1996]]
* [[Primera División Argentina]]: Apertura 1996, Clausura, 1997, Apertura 1997, Clausura 2002, Clausura 2003, Clausura 2004
* [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] runner-up: [[1996 Intercontinental Cup|1996]]
* [[Supercopa Sudamericana]]: [[1997 Supercopa Sudamericana|1997]]

'''Real Betis'''
* [[Ramon de Carranza Trophy]]: 1999

'''Colo-Colo'''
* [[Chilean Primera División|Torneo Apertura]]: 2006

'''Paraguay U-23'''
* [[South American Youth Football Championship|U-23 South American championship]]: [[1992 South American Youth Championship|1992]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/ayala-intl.html International statistics] at [[rsssf]]
*{{NFT player|10042}}

{{1996 South American Team of the Year}}
{{1997 South American Team of the Year}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title=Paraguay squads
| bg = #ff0000
| fg = White
|list1=
{{Paraguay Squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{Paraguay Squad 1993 Copa América}}
{{Paraguay Squad 1995 Copa América}}
{{Paraguay Squad 1997 Copa América}}
{{Paraguay Squad 1998 World Cup}}
{{Paraguay Squad 1999 Copa América}}
{{Paraguay Squad 2002 World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes top|title=Managerial positions}}
{{Club 2 de Mayo managers}}
{{Independiente F.B.C. managers}}
{{Club Deportivo Guabirá managers}}
{{Sport Boys Warnes managers}}
{{Club Petrolero managers}}
{{Club Nacional managers}}
{{Deportivo Capiatá managers}}
{{Sportivo Luqueño managers}}
{{Club Sol de América managers}}
{{Deportivo Santaní managers}}
{{Navboxes bottom}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayala, Celso}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Asunción]]
[[Category:Paraguayan men's footballers]]
[[Category:Club Olimpia footballers]]
[[Category:Rosario Central footballers]]
[[Category:Club Atlético River Plate footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Atlético Madrid footballers]]
[[Category:Real Betis players]]
[[Category:São Paulo FC players]]
[[Category:Colo-Colo footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for Paraguay]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Paraguay men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Chilean Primera División players]]
[[Category:Argentine Primera División players]]
[[Category:1993 Copa América players]]
[[Category:1995 Copa América players]]
[[Category:1997 Copa América players]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1999 Copa América players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Copa Libertadores–winning players]]
[[Category:Paraguayan football managers]]
[[Category:Club Deportivo Guabirá managers]]
[[Category:Sport Boys Warnes managers]]
[[Category:Club Nacional managers]]
[[Category:Club Sol de América managers]]
[[Category:Paraguayan Primera División managers]]
[[Category:Bolivian Primera División managers]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Argentina]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Brazil]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Chile]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Chile]]
[[Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Bolivia]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Bolivia]]
[[Category:Sportivo Luqueño managers]]
[[Category:Club Petrolero managers]]
[[Category:Club Deportivo Capiatá managers]]
[[Category:Independiente F.B.C. managers]]
[[Category:Club River Plate (Asunción) managers]]
[[Category:Deportivo Santaní managers]]
[[Category:Club 2 de Mayo managers]]
[[Category:21st-century Paraguayan sportsmen]]